


For Two

by the_authors_exploits



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-10 19:56:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2038023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_authors_exploits/pseuds/the_authors_exploits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Romance is complicated if you're a Slytherin, but somehow it was there all along. (and a cat is involved)</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Two

**Author's Note:**

> This took on a mind of its own; there may be more chapters if I feel like it, I do very much like the idea of Draco having a cat.

Retrieving four new books from the library was more difficult than one would think; especially if you were a Slytherin trying to avoid all the Ravenclaws that gathered there to study. So Theodore Nott returned to the common room empty handed. One look at the number of studious students and Theodore turned away. He didn’t read for study purposes, he read for recreational purposes. He didn’t need to read for study purposes; what he didn’t know he got from other students--Malfoy, Parkinson, Zabini, sometimes he’d even--ahem--borrow that Mudblood Granger’s work. Not only was it exceptional work, but it was quite enjoyable to watch her scurry around searching for her homework all over Hogwarts only to find it in her bag the fifth time she searched through it, after he’d replaced it swiftly.

Yes, quite enjoyable.

But with no recreational reading, Theodore was bored. He needed some stimulation; the homework was complete, he’d already gone for a run early this morning when the dew was fresh upon the ground, he’d tormented the few students present after lunch… It was a Hogsmeade weekend, but Theodore hadn’t gone. He was hoping to spend some time undisturbed in the library, what with most of the students gone, but obviously that was a flop.

Theodore stepped through the entrance way to the common room to be met with a frigid glare from non-other than Pansy Parkinson. He returned it with a blank stare.

“What? Shouldn’t you be at Hogsmeade?”

Her glare dropped lower in temperature, giving no answer. But Zabini, curled in a plush arm chair, answered for her.

“Malfoy hurried us back.”

Theodore took note of Crabbe and Goyle sitting sullenly by the fireplace, both munching on chocolate frogs and Every Flavor Beans, looking quite disappointed to be back from Hogsmeade so soon. “When did you get back?” And where was Malfoy?

“Right before lunch.”

That would be approximately three or four hours ago, no wonder everyone was so sour from having to miss Hogsmeade; of course, they didn’t have to follow Malfoy everywhere, though, but this particular band of Slytherins were infamous for following him everywhere.

“Where’s Malfoy?”

Pansy threw herself across a couch dramatically and grumbled “He kicked me out of the boy’s dormitory…”

Theo refused the very tempting urge to roll his eyes at her; she shouldn’t even be up there, and obviously Malfoy didn’t return her feelings. If she wanted to chase after someone, why not Zabini? If one looked hard enough they would notice that he liked her. Theodore decided to leave the matchmaking alone for now and headed up the stairs for the dormitory.

“He’s in a pissy mood, Nott, beware.” Zabini mumbled, flipping a page in the Quidditch magazine in his hands.

Theodore found the dormitory door barred. He banged upon it loudly. “Malfoy, let me in! Malfoy!”

There was crashing and the scrape of furniture against the floor before the door swung open a crack to display a flushed, disheveled Draco Malfoy.

“Can you keep a secret?”

Theo raised a brow at the hissed question, but nodded none the less. “Of course, Malfoy; how long have you known me?”

“Just get in here, and be discreet!”

Theodore found himself pulled forcefully into the dank room. He turned quickly to find Malfoy replacing a bed stand and two luggage trunks in front of the door. “Draco, what are you doing?”

“Come here, quick, but quiet!” He kept muttering, quirking a finger for Theodore to follow, and tiptoed to Nott’s curtained bed. There were very few torches lit and Theodore thrust his hands in his pants pockets.

“Draco, if you need help hiding Potter’s body I washed my hands of that when it started; find some other minion to dig the grave.”

“It’s not Potter, Theo, come here!”

The incessant tugging on his sleeve was endearing and Theo let his slighter friend pull him across the room. The curtains were opened in a flourish and Theo felt his jaw drop uncharacteristically. There was a bowl of water he assumed was once clean water, now dirtied and brown, and multiple strips of cloth that were just as dirtied as the water--all piled on _his_ once _pristine_ bed covers. Anger washed over him in a cold flush, hands fisting, and he pondered returning to the common room and sulking with Pansy when something gold colored poked out from the middle of the mess.

“Her name is Snitch and we need to get her food; she’s tried multiple times to bite off the tips of my fingers and Malfoy’s do not walk around without fingertips, Theo, we don’t lose fingertips but--”

“Draco Malfoy, you have a soft spot for a kitten!”

Taking in Theodore Nott’s grinning visage, Draco paused in his rant and the kitten--Snitch--let out a tiny mewl. “Malfoys do not have soft spots.”

“Alright,” the dark haired boy conceded, plucking Snitch from the soiled cloths and scratching under her chin. “But I know Draco and Draco has many soft spots. So, a bowl of milk, yes?” He shot his friend a sly grin. “And of course, no one must know about her.”

A wink, press of lips to platinum blond hair, and Theo bent to dismantle the barricade at the door; Snitch used her white socked paws to scramble onto his shoulder.

“Theo?”.

“Hmm?”

Snitch meowed again as she was, once more, removed from her perch and Draco stood at Theodore’s back. “Thank you…”

Theo straightened from his crouched position and smiled at the other boy. “Just clean my bed and we’ll call it even, yeah? I know you hate having to owe anyone anything.”

Draco sniffed haughtily. “Yes, well, go get the milk; and make sure no one notices!”

[===]

Snitch lapped contentedly at the saucer of milk and Theo tried very hard not to stare at Draco’s turn of lips. Smiles were rare on the pale boy, but precious. So his eyes kept flicking from the happy kitten to the happy Malfoy.

They had commandeered the dormitory, keeping the door barricaded and the others in the dark, much to their chagrin. Zabini had spent a half hour shouting threats through the door at them, and Crabbe and Goyle had fed Pansy’s increasing anger with their own frustrations at not being able to get to their possessions. Malfoy didn’t seem to care, all his focus on the small ball of fur.

“Where will you keep her?” It was just barely a whisper, but Draco heard it.

He lay on the floor, chin resting on his folded hands against the dusty floor. “I shall hide her here.”

Theo had to smirk at his answer; he shifted to lie on his side, head propped up on his hand. “You can’t keep everyone out all year, Draco.”

He shrugged. “What do you suggest?”

Theo thought for a moment, always thoughtful but more so when it came to Malfoy. “Let the gang in on it? They wouldn’t judge you, Malfoy--”

“Blaise would.”

“I thought we had agreed that Blaise was a bloody wanker.” Theo remembered all the late night conversations beneath a silencing charm upon Draco’s bed, all the insecurities he had spilled out, all the fears and confessions that came in veiled sentences and phrases and sometimes in pure truth, and all the stern, supportive words Theo had poured into his ears.

_“Blaise laughed, when I stumbled in Potions today.”_

_“Yes he did, but he’s a wanker.”_

_“He called me clumsy foot; Malfoys aren’t clumsy footed. I’m not clumsy footed.”_

_“I know, but you also need to know that it’s okay to trip. It doesn’t make you any less of a…Malfoy, or a person. It doesn’t diminish your value, Draco. You tripped--”_

_“And then Pansy said my reputation as a smooth ballet dancer would be tarnished for eternity; I am humiliated.”_

He had had trouble not smirking or chuckling at that; only a trip would draw out Draco’s insecurities. Perfection, perfection, perfection; that was his motto. Well, Lucius’s motto. That was angering, but Theo was always there to brush Draco off and send him on his way with a few choice words of support.

“It’ll be fine--”

“Crabbe and Goyle can’t keep a secret.”

Theo sighed. “Then what do you want? To carry her around under your jumper and robes all day?” Draco gave him a devious grin, but Theo gave a stern frown--“No.”--and his grin slipped away.

“Fine… We can let them in, but put charms around my bed so Snitch can’t get out or be found, yes?”

Theo shrugged, mirroring Draco’s flat position on the floor; their shoulders brushed, hips nearly pressed against each other. “Yeah, that can work… But is it really fair to keep her cooped up forever, all day, every day? What type of life is that for her? Just admit you found her at Hogsmeade and Dumbledore will let you keep her, he’s nice that way.”

Draco looked like he’d swallow a lemon and Theo let out a humored breath through his nose. “What about my reputation?”

“Your reputation would hardly be harmed by this; if anything, girls would throw themselves at you, and Potter would merrily think you’re up to no good again.” Theo nudged Draco. “And what better way to drive Potter nuts than set him on a wild goose chase?”

Draco’s grin was pure deviousness, mixed in with eager childlike determination. He pushed off from the floor. “I shall speak to Dumbledore at once!”

Theo was sure that conversation would hold less “may I keep this cat, dear sir Dumbledore” and more “I found a cat and shall be keeping it and you can’t stop me”.

[===]

Dumbledore did indeed let Draco keep the cat, and Blaise made no comment of the affair after Theodore gave him the most murderous, threatening glare in existence. So the Slytherins accepted the kitten rather coolly. The cat was there so they accepted it, just like they accepted the few other pets the others had.

Theodore learned quickly, however, not to leave Snitch and Draco unattended in the presence of their housemates. It was well known that Malfoy was possessive. So if someone were to be handling Snitch in a way he found distasteful, all of his Malfoy rage would come down on the poor unfortunate soul. Unless, of course, Theo would be there to divert and diffuse Draco. So Theo would settle with a good sized tome besides Draco’s lounging form on one of the many common room couches and elbow him or bodily keep him sitting when the moment called for his intervention.

Oddly enough, Draco was rubbing off on Snitch as the weeks wore on. Snitch became just as possessive as Draco Malfoy and Theodore tried very hard not to laugh every time the female cat hissed at Pansy’s flirtatious hand upon Malfoy’s arm. Or when Blaise wound up for a jilting comment at Malfoy, Snitch would bar her teeth and claws, all hair standing on end, and Theodore did indeed laugh at Blaise’s shocked face. And of course Snitch was a sight! A small, twelve pound ball of golden fur was hissing furiously at Blaise Zabini, pureblood Slytherin. It was adorable!

Of course, Draco didn’t always allow Snitch into the common room; he insisted that she stay hidden safely in the dormitory with her bowl of milk, expensive kitten chow, and elegant purple pet bed. He said she needn’t socialize with peasants. But one day, that fateful day, when Draco went up to retrieve his Potions text book for Crabbe to borrow he didn’t shut the door fast enough and out slipped Snitch, quick as the Quidditch ball for which she was named.

“Oi, Snitch, come back! No! Snitch!”

She ambled down the stairs and straight to the fireplace in the common room. Theo gave an amused smirk as Draco scrambled after her and the rest of the Slytherin house took their first glimpse at their new house mate. One thing was certain: Snitch knew what she wanted, just like Malfoy, and would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Of course, tonight was no different. The common room was rather dull and quiet; Theodore was reading a new tome; Blaise was flipping through a new Quidditch mag while stealing glances at Pansy, who was buffing her nails; Draco, with Snitch laying contentedly against his chest, dozed softly besides Theodore, his socked feet draped over Theo’s lap. His head was resting against the high-rise backing of the couch, back pressed to the arm rest. There were some first years by the fireplace, some playing exploding snap and others scurrying to finish homework they had procrastinated on. It was a lazy night and as Theodore turned another page Snitch decided she’d had enough of lying around and nimbly extricated herself from Draco’s arm to trot around the common room; exploring, as Pansy liked to call it.

Theodore let her be; she was a cat and definitely rather independent. She didn’t need to be obsessively monitored as was Draco’s belief.

“Go check on o’r daughter, Theo…”

Theodore looked up sharply to regard his best friend. “What?”

“She left, where’d she go?”

“Wait, what’s this about our daughter?”

One ice blue eye cracked open to tiredly address the darker haired boy. “Snitch, where is she?”

Theo scowled. “She is not my daughter, Draco, she is yours; and she’s around, playing, she’s fine.”

“Ne’er trusting you to babysit her.”

Theo ignored Blaise and Pansy’s pointed staring and merrily turned another page; maybe letting Draco keep the cat wasn’t such a good idea…

[===]

“Hallo, Malfoy.”

Theo truly, truly, hadn’t wanted to come across any drama today; he had a headache, hadn’t been sleeping well what with Snitch’s incessant mewling for attention and purring when she got it, and Malfoy had insisted upon dragging him to Hogsmeade for a shopping spree. Honestly! So of course they would run into Potter and his ragtag team.

_Please ignore them, Malfoy, please ignore them._

But Malfoy didn’t; he instead whirled to give a wicked sneer at the Weasel. “Hallo, Weasel, didn’t know you were allowed out of your cage and into public.” He gave the red head a once over and Theo felt his hackles rising; stop staring, Malfoy. “Especially dressed like that; what, torches not working in the Gryffindor place?”

Potter glared through his spectacles. “What about you, why are you out and about, Malfoy?”

He spat the name like it was the fat on a steak that one would spit out in disgust and Theo felt the uncharacteristic urge to punch him in the face.

“Leave us alone, Potter; we’re minding our business, aren’t we?”

The Chosen One’s eyes narrowed. “Surprisingly well as of late.”

Theo rolled his eyes and reached past Malfoy for the special food he insisted upon buying Snitch. He dropped a few cans of wet food in their basket.

Malfoy gave the trio a dark scowl. “Run along, Potter, we don’t have time for you.”

“Do you have a cat, Malfoy?” That was Granger. Theo regarded from a distance the leashes at the end of the aisle; Draco wanted to get Snitch one so they could take her for a walk and not fear losing her, but they’d need a harness too…

Draco lifted his chin. “What of it?”

There was a pause and Nott turned back to the scene to see what may have developed. Potter and Weasel looked shocked, unsure of what to make of this information, while Granger was smiling.

“I use Meowlon brand bed and leash for Crookshanks, it’s a good brand. And I see you’re purchasing Kingly Dishly.” She nodded. “That’s the most nutritious brand…” She threw him a wide smile. “You’re a good owner, Malfoy.” And with that she turned, hair and all, to leave the aisle. “Come on, boys, I still need to go to the bookstore before we go for some butterbeer!”

Theo raised a brow at the stunned pair that still stood before them and Malfoy decidedly kept his mouth shut. Slowly, Potter and Weasley followed their friend out of the aisle.

“Well that was…”

“Interesting,” Malfoy supplied and Theo nodded; the blond smirked, tossed his head. “Of course I’m a great owner. Come along, Theodore; we need to find a harness for Snitch.”

He didn’t comment on the pale hand that gripped his sleeve and tugged, pulling him around the pet store, around Hogsmeade. Malfoy barely let him go and he found he didn’t want to shake the appendage off.

[===]

Snitch was growing up and steadily growing bored with the common room, too, it seemed. She scratched at the entrance, meowed loudly into the late nights, and Draco would always throw a pillow at Theo saying it was his turn to shut her up. Though it had been his turn all night, every night, for the past two weeks he still climbed out of bed--mayhaps tugging Malfoy’s covers to the floor on his way out--and brought Snitch back to her pet bed in the dorms.

But he was getting annoyed and decided maybe taking her for a walk wouldn’t be so bad. They had, after all, bought a leash and harness. What harm could a romp about the grounds do her? So he wrapped the royal purple harness around the golden fur, clipped on the leash, and led her out. She trotted happily down the corridors, up stairs, around corners. If she was fascinated with the castle, she loved the outside even more.

She pounced upon bugs, weaved her way through the grass, scratched at trees. Theodore didn’t mind letting her take the lead; he enjoyed the fresh air and spied on the students that were present. It was always good to have some dirt on one’s classmates just in case.

“Nott.”

He turned his gaze from a pair of snogging Hufflepuffs to see Luna Lovegood before him. “Hallo.”

She gave a smile and a nod to Snitch, who was staring at her curiously. “Is that your cat?”

“Uhh, no, Malfoy’s.”

She gave no indication of shock or mirth, merrily kneeling and offering out her hand for approval. The cat sniffed at it, pink nose twitching, before rubbing her face upon the digits. Luna giggled. “Aww, she’s precious.” Snitch purred as she was scratched under the chin; that was her favorite. “Malfoy making you walk her?”

Theodore shrugged--he liked Luna, he’d talk with her--and took a seat beside her on the ground. “No, I care for her too. Feed her, wash her, pet her, you know…”

“Hmm, sounds like a joint ownership then.”

Snitch’s attention was caught by the lake a few yards away; Nott was tempted to let her off the leash to explore, but Malfoy would kill him. “I guess so. We both pitch in.”

“What’s her name?”

“Snitch.”

Luna grinned. “Was that Malfoy’s idea?”

Theo returned her grin. “He found her, this is all his fault.”

Luna gave a laugh. “Now, Nott! Be proud of your child!”

At that, the dark haired boy gave a deep frown. “Why do people say that? Call her my child? She’s just a cat, a pet, and even at that she’s Malfoy’s.”

The blond girl thought on this for a while, waving a long strip of grass for Snitch to catch. “Well, I’d say it’s because you both act like parents for her. I know she’s a pet, but pets are still family, and if you raised her and cared for her--she’s your child.”

That wasn’t so bad then; if Theodore had to choose someone to raise a child with it’d be Malfoy.

[===]

“Draco, what are you doing?”

The blond gave no answer and merrily tightened his grip.

“Draco.”

“Snitch has abandoned me for Crabbe’s bed; therefore, you will not be leaving. Until I have fallen asleep that is.”

Draco Cuddlebug Malfoy. They had been relaxing on Draco’s bed as was their norm when Theo had went to leave for his own bed and a good night’s sleep. But Draco had latched on to his friend’s waist and kept him firmly planted against the head board, lying bodily across the other.

“Malfoy.”

“Don’t Malfoy me! I’m tired, pillows shouldn’t speak.”

Theodore gave a great heaving breath; he tentatively wrapped his arms around Draco. “Fine, but I’m not moving. I’m tired too.”

He made his mind a blank landscape, complete empty space, so he wouldn’t have to think about Draco Malfoy laying across his lap; wouldn’t have to think about the way his hands folded perfectly against the blond’s slim back; wouldn’t have to think of the warmth Draco gave off, or the way his breathing was evening out against his skin. Calm, even air puffed against Theodore’s exposed arm and he forced himself to remain perfectly still: no shifting, no banging his head against the headboard. He wanted to; he wanted to do something, something to get rid of this over sensitivity. Idleness wasn’t his strong point, that was Malfoy’s expertise.

Malfoy could sit and enjoy stillness, enjoy what he wanted. Theodore needed work, needed a book or a conversation to eaves drop on, he needed distraction. Something to get rid of the over stimulating feel of Draco’s body weight pressed against his. He found he liked it.

It wasn’t abnormal for Draco to lounge against his friend, to throw his feet into Theodore’s lap and demand a foot rub, wasn’t strange for him to demand Theodore stay behind way past everyone had gone to bed. It was normal for Draco to stay close to him.

And Theodore found himself liking it more and more.

“You’re going to kill me. Or disown me. Or both. Dammit, Malfoy…” Theodore buried his face against the soft blond hair. “I hate you.”

What he really meant was the opposite.

[===]

Snitch wouldn’t stop staring at him.

“Go away. Father’s busy.” Draco dipped his quill back in the ink well and returned to taking notes. He had stayed in Snape’s classroom after school had completed for the day to work on some extra potions. No one couldn’t call him ambitious; at least, that was the excuse he had given to Crabbe and Goyle when they had asked him where he was going. “Severus?”

There was a pause where the only sound was quills on parchment before the professor answered calmly. “Yes, Draco?”

Yet another pause followed and Snitch gave a low _mmmrrrr_ from deep in her throat. “Let’s say, hypothetically, there’s a…person I know who likes this…other person, I also know… How would they know that the person…the person they like, likes them back?”

When no response was forth coming, Draco looked up to see Snape staring at him from over folded hands. Draco raised a brow delicately and Snape stood, moving back towards the ingredients cabinet. “Malfoy, remove your feline from the tabletop; you know that’s dangerous.”

Draco waved his hands at the cat. “Shoo, shoo, Snitch. Shoo.” She gave another low mewling growl before leaping from the tabletop to the stone floor. She wove in and out between the stools and Draco let her be. “Severus?”

The professor came back carrying a bundle of Eye of Newt and dropping the pile besides Draco’s cauldron. “Draco, you are a terrible liar and you know such. Now, is this Parkinson we are talking about?” Snape pull a stool from the table in front of Draco’s and sat down. “Or would it maybe be…Potter?”

“Severus! That’s disgusting, I _hate_ Potter!” Draco thought he may have seen Snape’s lips quirk in mirth but as soon as it was there it was gone.

“Then Parkinson.”

“Well…” Draco twirled the white quill between his hands and watched the ink splatter across his carefully scripted notes. “N-no, not her.”

Snape said nothing for a while, merrily stared over his godson’s shoulder at the stone walls. He finally took a deep breathe of dank air and leaned forward. “Draco, is it a her?”

His lips pursed and his eyes screwed up; Snape nodded knowingly, but stayed quiet. If Malfoy wanted him to know, then he would want to say so. He wouldn’t want Snape to put the pieces together and push him into a conversation before he was ready. So Snape waited patiently. “Nott.”

Snape raised a brow. “Not a her?”

“No, no--I mean yes! Yes, not a her, but no that’s not what I meant. I mean…”

Snape contemplated what he had said. “Well, Draco… You know I don’t judge you for who you are attracted to, correct?”

Draco nodded sullenly. “However…?”

“However, you must think about your parents. They expect you to marry a well-fitted woman with a good family bloodline to pass on the family name of Malfoy.”

“They expect me to be perfect, Severus,” and he gave a sad little headshake. “But I’m not perfect… I trip on my own two feet, I make mistakes on homework, my robes sometimes have wrinkles in them, hair doesn’t cooperate all the time.” He looked weary and Severus felt guilty somehow. “Maybe I don’t want to be a Malfoy.”

“But you are.” He didn’t say it harshly, but he didn’t say it soothingly either.

Snitch let out yet another low growl at Snape’s feet.

“Severus, I want to be happy. I don’t want to think about bloodlines and carry on the family name. I just want to be happy, and I’m happy with him.”

“That is love, Draco. A dangerous emotion.”

Snitch made Draco’s lap her seat and Snape could swear the animal was glaring at him; Draco stroked her fur absently. “Love. I like him, Severus. What’s wrong with that? Can’t I go out with him for no reason other than I like him and he makes me happy.”

Snape thought hard; sure, Lucius and Narcissa could be strict, stuck-up, blind, controlling parents but that wasn’t to say they didn’t care. It may take them some time to warm up to their son not carrying on the family bloodline. But there were always options to that wall: adopting would carry on the Malfoy name and a surrogate would carry on the bloodline and name. Besides, his godson’s happiness was probably the most important personal responsibility he had.

“Draco, I support you in any decision you make.”

His blue eyes were open as the stared hopefully at Snape and Snape was sure he had understood the veiled meaning: _if you want to pursue this classmate, I think you should_. “Thank you.” It was soft and tired and wet, and his eyes were swimming.

Snape gave a raised brow and his lips pulled into the slightest smile. The rap of knuckles against the door broke the atmosphere.

“Malfoy? It’s dinner time, are you coming?”

Quickly, Draco scrambled to gather his strewn school supplies and Snape returned the stool to the table.

“Good evening, Nott.”

“Good evening, Professor.” The black haired boy took a hesitant step into the room, eyes trained on his housemate; Snitch gave a quiet purr and rubbed herself against his ankles. “Malfoy?”

“I’m coming, go ahead.”

He seemed to hesitate, before coming all the way to stand by Draco’s side. He plucked the purple harness and leash from besides the other’s parchments. “Are you alright?” Theodore’s eyes were trained on the soiled notes. “Draco--”

“Just go drop Snitch at the dorms already!” The notes were hastily shuffled together and shoved into his bag.

His friend didn’t move for a moment; but then Snitch, who had returned to her place on the desk, bumped his hand and he snapped the harness on her. “Alright, fine.” And Theodore was gone, followed shortly by Draco.

Nott, Theodore Nott. Snape allowed himself to chuckle. It started with a chuckle and developed into a humored laugh before he felt like slapping himself for being idiotic.

Nott a her, indeed.

[===]

“Pansy, have you ever thought that maybe he’s…not into you?”

Blaise gave a sharp chortle at that, but Pansy didn’t look as irritated as he would’ve expected. In fact, she looked rather calm and there was a glint in her eye that made him more unsettled than her anger would.

“Of course I know he doesn’t like me, Nott, honestly!”  She didn't even seem bothered to have been interrupted from her ranting.

Both boys blinked quickly, blankly.

“What?” Zabini sputtered.

“Draco doesn’t like me, you lot must be blind to think that!” She examined her nails. “This is more…ostentatious than anything. I complain about his complete ‘ignorance’ of my ‘feelings’ and he gets to hide safely under the flash of our romance.”

“What, so you don’t like Draco!”

“No; and he doesn’t like me. He likes someone else.”

Theodore blinked; that…uncomplicated things in a complicated way. Blaise looked ready to bust and there, under that willow tree by the giant lake, under the soft sun of a late autumn, he kissed Pansy for the first time.

Subsequently he got slapped for his brazen move before receiving a second kiss from her. Theodore laughed loudly at them, his head thrown back and his voice carrying across the water.

[===]

“Come to Hogsmeade with me.”

Snitch blinked lazily at her black haired second-owner, jaw opening and pink tongue curling in a yawn. Theodore made a face at her before turning to look back at the one holding her.

“Yeah, sure, okay. Does she need more food?”

Draco shook his head, blond hair tossing. “No, not for Snitch. Come with me to the Three Broomsticks. We’ll, we can grab some firewhiskey and…”

“Talk?” he raised a brow. “Malfoy, are you…”

“Yes.” The reply was muffled by him hiding his face in Snitch’s golden fur; she gave a soft meow and turned to poke at his head with her nose. “Yes, alright, I’m asking you out.”

A drowning thump in his ears was identified as his heart racing. “On a date?”

Draco hissed. “Don’t make me sound like a love-struck maiden, Nott, I may not have the guts to ask again if you push me.”

Theodore smiled, reaching up to stroke under Snitch’s chin nervously. “Then I guess it’ll be my turn to ask you out, huh?”

Draco lifted his head to scowl. It felt right.

“I suppose it will be.”

[===]

“Firewhiskey for two, and some lemon tarts please.” Theodore took the offered mugs and plate of tarts and returned to the booth in the back corner. Draco hadn’t looked at him the whole time they had walked to Hogsmeade, hadn’t looked at him when they left. He stared at his shoes or a point of Theo’s shoulder. He wanted to laugh. “Here’s your firewhiskey, and some tarts.”

“Flavor?”

“Lemon, of course, your favorite.” Theodore relished in the near blush that came to his companion’s face. “So, how’s your astronomy project going?”

Draco took a deep drink from his mug. “Fine, but boring.”

“Rather a potion project, yes?”

Draco smirked. “Yes.”

Theodore nodded. They chatted some more, about potions and Snitch and homework. They spoke about things they would’ve always spoke about and Theodore slowly came to a realization.

“Draco… Draco, this is no different then what we’ve always been.”

His head snapped up from staring at the tart in his hand and for the first time that whole day made worried eye contact with Theodore. “What?”

“Talking about potions and Quidditch and exploding snap. We’ve always spoken about that, gotten drinks together.” He felt a smirk tugging at his lips. “I think I know what we’re missing.”

“If you say kissing, I will drop your arse in the lake and leave you until next spring’s thaw!”

“No kissing in public, got it,” Theo laughed. “Then, Malfoy--” he offered his hand over the table; Draco stared at it like it might bite. “Hold my hand.”

There was long drawn out pause. Theo thought he wouldn’t take it, that he’d have to retrieve his hand and give an apologetic smile and the chance of actually getting together with Malfoy would be lost. His heart was hammering and the lemon tarts were suddenly incredibly interesting and his eyes burned.

He began to pull his hand away. “Sorry, I guess--”

“No!” Two pale hands clasped tightly around Theodore’s clammy palm and pulled it back, holding tightly. “No, no, it’s…” A deep breath and Draco’s blue eyes met Theodore’s brown ones, held steady, determined. “No, it’s alright. I…I’m just…”

They both smiled and Theodore offered “Happy?”

Draco broke out in a grin in the dark of their corner booth and removed a hand from Theo’s to lift the firewhiskey to his lips.

“Very.”

 


End file.
